A currently popular trend in children's toys are the so-called "transformers"-toys which can be readily converted into other toys by making minor modifications in the structure of the toys. For example, toy cars are available which can be transformed into toy guns, and toy robots which can be transformed into trucks, and back again.
At the same time, among trend-conscious children, who have always been strongly influenced by the ins and outs of style as dictated by their peers, the lowly, traditional lunch box has fallen out of favor. While remaining practical and handy as a means for children to carry their lunches and other snacks to school, the ordinary, unadorned lunch box has little appeal to the younger generation. In effort to increase the appeal of the traditional lunch box, manufacturers have taken to adorning the outsides of their lunch boxes with names, faces and scenes from popular television series, movies, popular singers, cartoons and the like.
The present invention is designed both to increase the appeal of the lunch box to children as well as to capitalize on the transformable trend in toys. The novel design of this invention makes it possible to have a full-size and fully useable lunch box which can also be readily transformed into a toy robot, and back again into a lunch box.
The prior art discloses numerous types of lunch box designs, some of which also have utility as toys. For example, U.S. Design Pat. Nos. 251,284 and 253,330 shows lunch boxes in the designs of footballs. U.S. Design Pat. No. 255,084 shows a lunch box in the design of a sandwich; and, U.S. Design Pat. No. 260,595 shows a lunch box in the design of a house. U.S. Pat. No. 4,216,862 shows a lunch box design in which the cover defines two inner compartments in such a way that the open lunch box doubles as a serving tray. None of the prior art shows a lunch box design which permits conversion into a toy robot.
Similarly, the prior art discloses numerous types of toy robot designs, some of which can be folded up for carrying or storing or else can be transformed into other toys. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,456,384 and 4,411,097 show toy robots capable of being folded up so as to fit into or form a more or less rectangular space. None of the prior art, however, shows a toy robot which can be transformed into or made from a lunch box.